Art as Science for Preschoolers

  Science experiments at our house are rarely about science in the typical sense. I'm not trying to teach Kay concepts or things like that. I more want her to wonder, to question, to investigate. And using that as a guide, almost anything can be one of our science experiments.

  I thought it would be fun to see how water would affect different art materials - chalk, colored pencils, and markers. We colored with each on a piece of paper and then used a spray bottle to see how the water would change it. The colored pencil didn't change at all, and the marker didn't change much at first, but the chalk became noticeably bolder in color. Kay liked this. (We made "powdered paint" from sidewalk chalk over the summer and she loved it outside too!)

  I put a little cup of water on the table and we dipped the chalk and drew with it, comparing it to dry chalk and talking about the differences. Another thing about our 'science experiments' is I try not to press a point too much, letting her notice things on her own. Me rambling on is probably just annoying for both of us. So we just dipped the chalk and drew and had fun with the art.

  The next day I came across Happy Hooligans' paper towel art and thought we'd continue with our theme. We colored on a paper towel with washable markers. Then we put a plastic bag under it (otherwise the colors would seep through onto the table) and dampened it with the spray bottle. 

This time the marker colors changed noticeably, blending together and running into each other, leaving a tie-dyed look to it.

The longer we let it sit, the more the colors blended. 

I loved the results. Kay just liked playing with the spray bottle. It came out so pretty I hated to throw it away, but damp paper towels are not the kind of art you can hang on the wall for all time!

It's the Saturday Science Blog Hop! Find more science ideas for kids from my co-hosts: 

                              Melting Rocks 
                                    Stir the Wonder

                                Gravity Science Experiments for Preschool Kids 
                                                            Little Bins for Little Hands

                                 Polar Animal Sort: Arctic vs Antarctic Animals 
                                                              Still Playing School